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L. MORGAN. MACHINE FOR CLEANING PLAXSE-ED.

No. 282,211. Patented July 31. 1883-.

N. ruins. vmwmo m. warmm, n. c.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

LYMAN, MORGAN, OF PORT WASHINGTON, VVISOONSIN.

MACHINE F OR CLEANING FLAXSEED.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 282,211, dated July 31,1883.

Application filed December 5, 1881. (Nomodel.) A

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LYMAN MORGAN, of Port Washington, in the county ofOzaukee and State of Wisconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Cleaning Flaxseed; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itpertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates particularly to machines for cleaning flaxseed,although it can be used to clean similarly-shaped seed of other kinds,in the separation of which similar difficulties arise.

My improved device consists of a screen having horizontal parallelstrips so inclined at their upper edges as to cause the fiat flaxseedsto overbalance and slide between the strips edgewise and to retain moresphericallyshaped seeds, in combination with means for shaking thescreen and causing the passage of the grain over the same, substantiallyashereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, similar letters are used to designate likeparts, and in the same Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvedfiaxseed-separator. .Fig. 2 is a plan view of the shaker-frame andsieves or riddles in the same. shaker on the line a a, Fig. 2. Fig. 4represents a vertical section on the line a: m, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is avertical section on the line b b of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 represents anequivalent de- "vice to that shown in Fig. 3.

A is the frame of the separator, constructed of any desirable form. B isa suction-fan. O is a wind-pipe, through which the fan B draws thechaff, dust, and light impurities that are mingled with the flaxseed as"it enters the head of the separator D through the entrance-spout E. Ashaker-frame F, is suspended in the frame A by vibrative straps in anysuitable way, and a shaking motion is communicated to it by means of apitman, G, from a crankshaft driven by the same power which serves todrive the fan B. Flaxseed as it is usually grown is, when thrashed, moreor less mixed with the seeds of cockle and other weeds,

Fig.. 3 is avertical section of the i which are very difficult ofseparation and greatly injure the quality and value of the fiaxseed, andan apparatus for cleaning the same has long been sought. .The difficultyarises from the peculiar shape and size of the flaxseed, which inbreadth nearly approaches in size the diameter of the seeds mixedtherewith. Any riddle, as the same have heretofore been constructed,which will permit the passage of the cockle-seeds will also permitobliged to construct my separator to obviate these difficulties in apeculiar manner. d isa coarse riddle, with perforations made largeenough to afford free passage for the fiaxseedand all except the variousimpurities larger than itself. The latter are carried over the side ofthe upper riddle by the spout g at the lower end of riddle d. Afterpassing through the riddle d the seeds strike upon a finernieshedriddle, 6, with perforations of a size to permit the smaller seeds andimpurities to pass, but which will' retain allthe fiaxseed. The seedsand impurities which pass through the screen estrike upon the closefloor or bottom f and pass downward toward the .foot of the screen-frameand into the spout H. The screene occupies only the upper half of thethe passage of the fiaxseed; hence I have been i shaker-frame F, and onleaving it the seeds pass upon a screen, h, lying in the same plane Thescreen h is constructed of' but preferably of from one-half tofive-eighths of an inch. Beneath the screen it the floor or bottom falso extends, leading into a catch spout, J. I I Instead of constructingthe screen h in the manner described, I may construct it with the strips71 it upright, as shown in Fig.6, and with or without beveled upperedges; but I prefer the constructionpreviously described.

My improved device operates as follows:

TOG

' transverse inclination of the strips.

The fiaxseed, passing into the machine at E, is winnowed by the actionof the suction-fan B, and the seeds fall upon the upper screen, d, whichremoves the coarser impurities, which pass over at spout g, aspreviously described. The flaxseed and all seeds of equal and smallersize pass through it and fall upon the screen '6. The screen 6 allowsthe seeds smaller than the flaxseeds width to pass through it, while theI flaxseed and the remaining weed-seeds pass over it and upon the screenh. The seeds of flax are flattened like those of the melon or squash,and hence when passing over the shaking screen lie upon their flat side.Their edges are thus presented to the openings between the stripsi v? i,and they pass between them, their motion being accelerated by the As thecockle and remaining weed seeds are of a size as great in diameter asthe width of the fiax seeds, they cannot pass between the strips, andhence are retained and pass over-the foot of the screen into anyreceptacle properly used successfully, because any screen which willallow cockle and similar seeds to pass through will permit the passageof flaxseed, endwise, and the shaking of the screens would cause many ofthe seeds of flax to pass through endwise. Advantage must consequentlybe taken of the lesser thickness of the flaxseed, since the cockle andweed seeds-are nearly spherical, and the means which I have describedare the best devices for the purpose which I have been able to liscover.

I by no means claim as my invention the shaker F nor the suction-fan B,either alone or in combination, broadly; but

I claim In a flaXseed-cleaning machine, a screen having longitudinalparallel strips inclined at their upper edges to cause the flatfiaxseeds to overbalance and slide between the strips edgewise, and toretain'the more spherical seeds, in combination with means ,for shakingthe screen and causing the passage of the grain over it. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signaturein presence of two witnesses.

LYMAN MORGAN.

Vitnesses:

CHAS. L. Goss, E. H. BOTTUM.

